Wendy wanted to stick around as long as she could in her particular part of the forest, but Tempester—the Demon she'd encountered and finally gotten a name out of—wouldn't let her stay still. He cast infernos, tornados, hail storms, and caused earthquakes. She couldn't get a footing anywhere, she had to be on the move. And everything crumbled around her.

The already-desolate forest was eradicated before her very eyes. She was only able to dodge his attacks because each time she made an advance on him to try and get close, he was able to out-maneuver her or, worse, parry her blow.

"Too weak," he'd say and bat her aside, then launch a tornado down at her.

Wendy bounded over a fallen tree and spun around.

"Sky Dragon Roar!"

Her spell crashed with a swirling thunderstorm that'd formed at Tempester's command, dissipating it but giving him a moment to close the distance between the two of them. She barely had time to get out of the way of his fist which left her open to a knee in her gut. He punched her down into the dirt, then grabbed her hair and lifted her up.

He glared at her with eyes of swirling malice.

"They'd send a child to fight a devil," Tempester said. "A pity. Not even a child of any strength."

"I can beat you," Wendy said.

"No. Therefore, I will kill you."

He swung her down, slamming her into the dirt, then picked her up, and did it again.

And again.

And again.

And…

Laxus blocked, swung, Ezel blocked, swung twice, and scored a single hit on Laxus who almost lost grip of the sword.

Its lightning arced around and almost struck Ezel, but the demon was able to parry Laxus's blade with just one of his many arms.

"I'll give you one thing," Ezel said. "You're a tough guy, lightning boy. But you can't win. Not the way you are now."

Laxus stepped back. Ezel was huffing and puffing, too. Laxus just couldn't get any hits in. One good one could do the trick. Still…

He sensed his own magic, as it poured into the blade, and it was beginning to run low a bit. He adjusted his grip.

This was the perfect way to test his skills, though. If he could master the blade, he could get back to his fight with Dimaria and prove himself outright over her. Freed would keep him free in that timeless world, and then, one-on-one, in a show of strength and swordsmanship, he'd…

Laxus had to dodge as Ezel launched another series of attacks. No. Don't run, coward. Fight.

With a roar, Laxus charged. Ezel sneered.

"Onimaru!"

The demon swung his arms down as slashes, sending powerful arcs at Laxus. He attempted to cut them at their junction, but the curse itself was so strong his sword couldn't cut through them. Impossible.

Laxus's arms flung up, leaving him wide open for Ezel to kick out at him, sending Laxus flying back into another tree.

"Hey man, just drop the sword!" Bickslow called.

Laxus tightened his grip. "No. I can win like this. I will like this."

Ezel sliced his bladed arms together, then swirled them about.

"I love a human with a bit of hubris," Ezel said. "Come on, tough guy, keep beating your head against the wall. I'll toy with you all day if that's what you want."

He's bluffing, Laxus thought. He's running out of power. Soon, he'll be just as tired out, he'll run out of tricks.

Laxus adjusted his stance, preparing his blade. Lightning flashed in front of him.

Then, once again, he charged.

Juvia whipped Gray around, sending him flying to avoid another batch of Porla's many Shades. The guy was unleashing them at a breakneck pace, using them as shields, as weapons, or even as little mines all across the battlefield. Mostly, he was using them offensively to take out Juvia, while keeping Yukino at bay with the shields. Gray couldn't get a single bit of good positioning to try and trap him.

He was a one-man army, while Lyon handled the actual undead army quite well.

Juvia tossed Gray into the air, catching Porla's attention.

"Ice-Make: Arrows!"

Gray launched a volley of arrows down at Porla who blocked with his Shades. Yukino dove in, still in her Libra Star Dress, but was batted back by a gaggle of Shades that'd merged into one super being. She punished them into the ground with her magic, forcing Porla out of position.

He once more launched a Dead Wave at Juvia, who had to sink into the puddles she'd formed to avoid it.

Gray landed, sliding on a ramp he created. A Shade came and attempted to break it, but Gray merely leaped over it and landed, drawing an Ice-Make Sword. He was ten feet from Porla, who'd backed up close to him.

"Nice try," Porla said, and swung his arms up. An explosion caught Gray and sent him flying into the air. Luckily, Yukino noticed and cast a spell to make him momentarily weightless. The super Shade bore down on her but was smacked back by a Water Whip from Juvia, leaving her exposed to Porla.

Damn it! They were uncoordinated. The Shades were a distraction. Somehow, they had to clear a path. Somehow they had to get in close, get one powerful attack on Porla.

Juvia once more dove into the ground, reemerging in another puddle of water. Yukino guided Gray to the ground.

He was so obsessed with her—proving himself over his old student. Yukino and Gray were the Shades' problems to deal with.

Their solution was there, with her. With Juvia.

Gray moved in, still letting a plan percolate. Yukino advanced as well, hoping to flank Porla. He figured it wouldn't work, even as he launched his attack and got it blocked.

Gray slid to a halt and whirled around. Porla tried to push him back again as if to clear a way to Juvia once more.

"There has to be something we can do," Yukino said, landing close to Gray.

Juvia was isolated for the moment. Gray slammed his fist into his open palm.

"How do we get by those damn Shades?" Gray muttered.

"We need to concentrate all of them on one of us," Yukino said.

Gray nodded. "And then hit him at the same time. That's the hard part."

"A sneak attack is our best bet."

Gray slid his foot forward. A distraction and pointed attack? Someone who would be able to take the hit while another—Juvia—got his attention and one more hit him. If Juvia could be the one to hit him with the sneak attack, it'd take her off the board and force Porla to focus on Gray or Yukino.

"Hey," Gray said. "Don't you have a water form?"

"My Pisces Star Dress allows me to use Water magic, yes."

Gray nodded, then fixed his stance. "Then we have our plan. Juvia's going to go away for just a second, and you'll have to hit him with a water spell two seconds after she's gone. Got it?"

"Right," Yukino said, taking a moment, then her eyes lit up. She understood the plan.

"Ice-Make: Floor!"

Gray slammed his hands to the ground. Ice spread everywhere. It almost made Juvia slip, but Porla was fine. Porla forced Gray and Yukino back.

"Juvia!" Gray said. "Come over here!"

Faster than he could believe, Juvia did but had to dive into the water to avoid another attack. Except, this time, she dove into thefrozenwater Gray created all around them.

Porla spun to search, and right then, he was struck by another spell from Yukino. Enraged, he aimed his Shades at her without looking.

"Ice-Make: Gungnir!"

Porla winced just before the spell struck, slamming into and freezing him in place. The Shades still bore down on Yukino.

"Now, Juvia!"

The ice cracked, shifted, and then all of a sudden burst as a pool of water formed beneath Porla. Juvia, at once, emerged from the water, surging out of the water with incredible force.

"Wings of Love!"

The spell of all the once-frozen water concentrated around her hand then at once shot forward and blasted into Porla, sending him skidding down the battlefield and into a bit of outcropping. The Shades battling Yukino all broke around her.

She sagged her shoulders, sighing and dropping out of her Star Dress form.

Juvia landed next to Gray.

"My darling, I'm here, what did you need?" she asked.

Gray shrugged. "Nothing. Just uh…wanted to make sure you were…okay, I guess."

He smacked his head as Juvia jumped on him. What a stupid thing to say.

"Good plan, Gray," Yukino said.

"Couldn't have done it without you guys," Gray said as he nudged Juvia away.

"Looks like Master Porla is down," Juvia said.

"We should lend Lyon our help, then," Gray said.

They jogged toward him, passing close to Porla's broken body that was, mysteriously, beginning to turn into dark mist. A quick, pained chuckle forced Gray and Juvia to stop while Yukino continued ahead, summoning Libra to her side to help bury the dwindling undead.

"What's so funny?" Gray asked.

"Y—you think you've beaten us," Porla said. "When you've only gotten through…round one…"

"What are you talking about?" Juvia asked. "You weren't alone?"

"They'll be here soon," Porla said. "And I can go knowing that you may have beaten me, Rain Woman, with the help of your friends… but myallies will kill you and your sweet love. Break you." He leered at Gray. "Especially you, Fullbuster. And they'll be here any moment."

Neither had a chance to question further. He faded into that black mist right away, leaving behind only a faint echo of his final words.

"More mind games," Juvia said. "Probably nothing to worry about."

"Alright, then let's go wrap it up with Lyon and get outta here. Don't wanna stick around for whatever backup might be coming, you know?"

"Right!"

They sprinted in Lyon and Yukino's direction. He'd done an incredible job at handling the once massive army, eliminating or freezing hundreds of them before Yukino ever even got there. Gray couldn't expect any less out of the guy.

"Alright, we're here!" Gray called. "Ice-Make:—"

Something plummeted out of the sky and crashed near them, knocking them all off their feet and sending them spilling to the ground. The shockwave of whatever it was knocked the undead out, too.

Gray recovered, quickly, and helped Juvia up.

Whatever it was rose out of the ground slowly, but was large. Massive, dark, with red eyes piercing through the brewing darkness of heavy gray clouds. Another person was next to it, much smaller, but radiating with a cold so deep even Gray caught a shiver.

"Hey, Gray," Lyon said, eyes widening as they took in what was before them. "It—it can't be…"

"We killed it. We watched it die!" Gray shrieked.

That cold from the other wizard was nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the chill from fear icing his veins. Gray couldn't even think, couldn't formulate a plan, even as Juvia shouted at him, trying to figure out what was going on.

The man stepped forward, arm up as if in greeting. Yukino was the one to take action first, preparing a spell. The man waved his arm and froze Yukino in place with hardly any effort.

"Well," the man said, "it's been a while, kid."

Gray barely heard him. How could he put his attention anywhere else?

What else was he supposed to focus on when Deliora was right there?

"Yeah, quite the sight," the man said. "Couldn't believe it when I saw him again, too. The last time I saw him was, well, it was the last time I saw you."

Gray blinked. Wh—what did he just say?

"Yup," the man said with a little grin. "It's me! Your old man. You don't recognize your pops?"

"Lies, Gray, it's all lies," Juvia said. "Your parents passed away."

"So did Deliora," Gray said, silent as ever, so quiet he could barely hear his words. "Ur killed him. Ur, I—we…he broke."

"Necromancy," the man said, "is a helluva thing."

Deliora huffed and curled its talons into fists.

"So here's what you're gonna do, Gray," the man said. "You're gonna take a step right over there, and you and I are gonna have a chat. The big guy here will make sure we don't have any interference. They make a move? They're dead."

"You won't touch him," Juvia said. She crossed her arm in front of Gray.

"A cutie. But this is family business, girl. I don't mind letting Deliora wipe you out. He and I have important things to discuss. Decades to catch up on."

Gray finally peeled his eyes from Deliora down to the guy. Yeah, there was something…familiar about him. But his old man would never side with a demon. Why? Why ally with the thing that killed their family, and wiped out their whole town and everyone they knew?

Was this some sort of nightmare? Was some other wizard lurking that'd cast a spell on them?

Juvia reached down and clasped his hand. She squeezed tightly, but he didn't return the grip. He took his hands from her, not realizing until he'd taken a step forward that they were trembling.

"Ready?" the man asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am."

Gray slammed his fist into his hand, then drew it back and cast, "Ice-Make: Freeze Lancer!"

Not again. Never again would he let Deliora get free. No matter who this other dirtbag was, he was allied with Deliora. Deliora was on the march toward his friends. Gray would stop him.

Lyon backed him with a spell of his own. Both struck, and momentarily froze, Deliora, but their magic was easily consumed by the other man. Deliora, free to move, advanced.

Gray's heart pounded watching the demon approach. It was real, it was moving. This was it. A real fight against the one that wiped out his family, the one that killed Ur.

"I told you, we have to talk!"

The man shot at Gray, punching him hard in the gut and knocking him back, even away from Juvia, who had to help Lyon hold back an attack from Lyon.

Gray pushed the man away.

"You're not my dad!" Gray shouted as he came to a stop.

"My name is Silver Fullbuster," the man said, rising to his full height. A dark aura spread around him, glistening off his armor. "An Ice Demon Slayer. And I am your father, Gray. And I'm going to make sure not to make the same mistakes I made before. I'm going to make sure the job is done."

And Silver attacked his son.

This Jackal idiot wasn't giving them an inch. Max was doing all that he could to buy Cana enough time to find some new attack, but each one thrown at Jackal was literally just blown up. And his explosions were everywhere. Nobody could land a hit, nobody could really even move.

And Master Makarov was hardly able to help. Bisca and Warren had him locked down. He couldn't run from them, not as Bisca rained down on him.

Not while Warren berated them.

You abandoned us.

Cana sprinted around a bit of rubble and then dove under where Jackal was coming down on her. She tumbled forward, spilling some cards out of her hand.

"You're as hopeless as you are helpless!"

An explosion rocked her side, sending her flying.

You left us for the Empire.

Cana recovered but the cards she drew were useless. The spells she had were useless as long as she kept running. She searched and searched but didn't find Jackal—

BOOM.

She flew back and got slammed against a tree. She lurched forward, stars filling her vision.

So now, you're going to feel the pain we did.

Gajeel put his fists up again, swaying as Lily stood as tall and strong as when the fight got started. Seilah continued to lazily swing her legs on the outcropping above, flipping through the pages of some tattered book.

"Come on, you gotta fight back, Gajeel!" Lily shouted.

"Yeah, yeah," Gajeel said.

Lily attacked. Well, it was more like Seilah attacked, but did it all through Lily. Gajeel knew how Lily fought—like a soldier, like a brute of a swordsman. But Seilah, with her Macro curse, had the guy moving with better speed and more random moves, making blocking them difficult.

Then, when he had an opening, Gajeel couldn't stomach taking it.

Not against his only friend left in the world.

Instead, he'd leave himself open thanks to that moment of hesitation, and Lily would strike. It initially amused Seilah, but, clearly, she was just getting bored.

His next strike came with a bit of hesitation, catching Seilah's attention.

"You dare resist me?"

Gajeel pulled up. "You're wasting time, man."

"I—I won't do this!"

"You will. My Macro compels you. It owns you."

He attacked. Gajeel managed to block every blow but didn't return a single one.

"End this already!" Gajeel shouted. "What sort of sick joy are you getting out of it?"

"Your struggle is what feeds me," Seilah said. "If Mirajane wasn't so occupied down there I may have summoned more of your friends to fight you. Would you hesitate with them, too? You're supposed to cause a spectacle, little Fairy."

Lily launched at Gajeel. Gajeel blocked the strike, and just as he was about to throw a punch, he thought of Levy.

Of her body, lying cold and alone somewhere. Somewhere he couldn't get to. Somewhere he'd abandoned her.

Lily sliced Gajeel across the face with his blade and Gajeel reeled back.

"End this already!" Gajeel shouted. "Come on!"

"You're suffering," Seilah said. "And I don't feel satisfied. Therefore, we must continue. It will stop when you kill him, though. Look. You're tormenting him."

Lily braced to try and resist again but still moved. Gajeel put his fists up, coating his arms in iron, though part of him didn't want to.

"Don't you dare give up on this!" Lily shouted as Gajeel put up poor defenses. Lily shouldered him away, then caught Gajeel's head and slammed him into the ground. "Don't you dare! Get up and fight me, Gajeel! Buy time for Erza and the others to kick this demon's butt!"

Levy.

He'd failed Levy.

And to kill that demon, he'd have to do the same to Lily.

Gajeel did stand but Lily punched him hard in the face. The Exceed caught Gajeel before he could fall.

"Are you suffering?" Seilah asked.

"Yes," Gajeel said through gritted teeth.

"Good," Seilah said. Her eyes flashed, but her spell didn't give in.

Instead, Gajeel felt the control of his body go. His arms were limp, then rose on their own and turned to blades. Lily's eyes widened, but he was forced into a defensive stance.

"Like my own little toys," Seilah said and flicked her wrists.

Gajeel and Lily attacked one another. Gajeel landed two blows and then Lily another. Even as he felt consciousness slip for a moment, Gajeel was forced back into the fight, crushing a fist against Lily's chest as Lily sliced over Gajeel's arm.

And there was nothing to be done about it. All he could do was shout that she was a coward to not fight them, but it didn't matter. He put his guard down, and this was his fate.

"I'm sorry, Gajeel," Lily said as their heads against one another.

"We'll beat her," Gajeel said with raspy breath. "We'll figure it out eventu—"

Both punched the other in the face, but both were forced to stay standing. Blood ran down Gajeel's chest, arms, and now his lips. One of his eyes was swollen shut. In a real fight, he'd hardly be able to move.

But this was no real fight. It was just two dolls smacking each other around. It was amusement for a demon, and she wasn't done playing yet.

Erza moved with all her might toward Mirajane. Elfman refused to back down.

"Fine," Mirajane said. "I'll see you in hell soon, brother."

The blast was so fast Erza could've blinked and missed it. It was in and out of Elfman's chest in the same instant, tearing a hole through him. Elfman stuttered a step back, but Erza was quick enough to dart around Mirajane and catch the big man, landing in a heap away from the portal.

Erza whirled and flung her swords at Mirajane, forcing her to take a step away from the unconscious Lisanna.

"Th—thanks, Erza," Elfman said.

"We'll get you home, Elfman, just hang in there!"

She refused to look at his chest. She refused. He would be fine. They'd make it out of this. She just had to get Lisanna, get Elfman, and use her armor to get them away. Then she could heal them, somehow. There had to be a healer among—

The other rebels, the controlled wizards, approached Lisanna, who lay limp on the floor. Mirajane rose, her smile wide and eyes alight with fervent malice.

"Just promise you'll get her back?"

"Of course, Elfman, I'm going now!"

"Good. A real man…wouldn't let her down…"

He let out a breath, a long breath, a strained breath, and then something collapsed behind Erza. She stole one look back. Two tears slid down his face, and a smile was on his bleeding lips. He was still. He wouldn't move, couldn't move.

Erza heard her swords clatter to the ground before she realized she'd dropped them, and before she realized she couldn't see Elfman through the water in her eyes.

"Oh, Erza! Looks like I'll be taking Lisanna after all!"

Erza whipped around, tears flinging free of her eyes. Indeed, the crowd had picked up Lisanna and were carting her toward the portal. Mirajane approached, then stood in their way, blocking Erza. She opened her palm and pointed it at Lisanna.

"Want to try it again? Maybe you'll make it in time."

Natsu struggled to breathe. He crawled out of the crater that'd formed from his long fall. He thought he had Larcade.

He'd pushed as far into his Lightning Fire Dragon Mode as he could go, he tapped into his most powerful spell, and he launched the two of them high into the sky, where the dragons lived.

And Larcade had just a single bruise to show it, then blasted Natsu into the ground and rained all sorts of power on him. Hit after hit, each one landing with the force of a meteor.

He pushed to his knees. Something dripped off of him. In his shadow, it was hard to tell. He didn't think he was sweating, and, it was sticky—

A foot touched the back of his head and then slammed it into the ground. Natsu lay limp.

"The great Natsu Dragneel," Larcade said. "The fire of Fairy Tail, and son of Igneel. How the mighty fallen. Or, I should say, how the mighty are proven insignificant. Now, the real question is, what to do with you?"

Natsu couldn't even think about Larcade or their fight. He only thought of Lucy and Happy.

"Run!" Natsu shouted. "Run, you guys!"

Fear is not evil, Gildarts once said.

"Get out of here!" Natsu shouted.

"They can't go anywhere so long as they are under my watch, and neither will you," Larcade said. "It seems the effects of my abilities have not truly sunk in with you. That's a shame. I'll need to ratchet things up, then."

He placed a hand on Natsu's head.

"Remember," Larcade said. "That there is no will you can summon, no magic you have, that will ever bridge the gap between us. You are the failure."

With a pulse, Larcade sent his magic through Natsu. He steeled himself, but like a surging river attacking a beaver dam, there was nothing Natsu could do.

Actually, there was one thing:

Scream.

Hisui scrambled to the old control board. How could they be this defenseless, how could they lose contact with everyone?

"What do we do?" Hisui muttered.

Irene approached as Mest did the same. He checked for any bits that were possible to fix, anything they could cobble together. But the interface had been magical, if not ancient, in its creation. It was like sticking a lacrima back together hoping for the same effect.

"It's over," Irene said. "We're completely in the dark."

"You're great and powerful, can't you do anything?" Mest called.

Irene nodded. "There is something I can do. Give me—no.No."

"What?" Hisui asked. "What is it?"

"Bloodman," Irene muttered. She leered. "I can sense him. He's coming close, Mard Geer has summoned him."

"Why? How do you know this?"

"I can sense him. He carries with him a portal to the underworld, and I made it my business to know that magical signature."

"But why would he come here?"

"To finish the job, and make sure it was done. You need to leave."

"There's no way out of here!" Mest exclaimed.

"Take her, then," Irene said.

Hisui shook her head. "No. I have to stay and defend this place. This is our last stronghold!"

"Listen to me," Irene said. "Bloodman is beyond you. Far beyond you. Only I can hold him back. I won't see my daughter's dreams obliterated because you wanted to make an idiotic final stand for a bunch of meaningless rock. You've lost this place, Hisui. Run."

"I can't!"

Tears began to fill her eyes. Why? What was there to cry over?

Irene stamped her staff onto the ground. Hisui felt nothing from it, but Irene concentrated on the magic within the staff.

Hisui searched once more. There had to be something. Had to be anything they could do. Hisui always had a way to reach out and help, she always had a way to fight. She couldn't be locked down again, couldn't be contained again.

"They're dying, Hisui," Irene said after a moment, her eyes slowly opening. "I'm losing Erza."

"Dying?" Mest echoed.

"Bloodman will be here in less than five minutes," Irene said. "What will you do?'

Hisui bobbled words in her mouth but nothing came out. Dying? They were…dying?

A shadow began to encroach on them. Sherria cried out as she spotted it. The Cube was returning. Bloodman was probably on it this time.

"What will you do?" Irene barked.

Hisui faltered and fell to her side. She reached out and found nothing to hold onto.

No. She was trapped. They'd finally cornered her.

Her mind blanked. Her heart stopped. She simply shook her head.

"Fine," Irene said. "Then I lend you a hand this once, Hisui, but I don't do it for you. I do it to save my daughter. I was hoping to save this sort of spell for if I had to confront a power like Acnologia but…ugh." She touched her staff to the ground again. "Fairy World."

Hisui glanced at Irene as a power began to swell around her, stemming from the ground. The magic reached up and touched her, reaching deep and touching her soul.

Then, all turned to scarlet.

Mard Geer eased back in his seat, resting a hand under his chin. He peered into the darkness, sensing the terrible magic around his fellow Etherious, including Larcade. That power, so great and terrible, could only belong to two living wizards on Earth Land, and one he knew, for sure, was up in the castle above him.

He tapped his skull with his forefinger and concentrated.

"To my fellow demons," he said, his voice as cold as the darkness around him, "I am ordering a retreat to Hell's Core. The Scarlet Despair has entered the board, and we must reconsider our next move."

Such an annoyance, Mard Geer thought as he sensed his forces pulling back. Kyoka would have to fly the Cube back into position.

He tapped his skull once more.

"Keyes," he said. "Do not halt your advance. I want the world to be draped in the shadow of our creator's darkness. We will reach out as we gather ourselves and prepare our next move."

As you wish, Captain.

Mard Geer curled his fingers in front of him, waiting for the rest of the Etherious to return. It'd been all too easy to wipe out the rebels. Several were, hopefully, dead. It'd make their next strike that much easier. They had nowhere to go now—all outposts were eradicated, including Hisui'ssecretone.

With just one more maneuver, the Twilight Empire would at last be complete across all of Fiore.

The scarlet light finally faded, and Lucy could actually feel herself again. She was no longer racked with hunger, pain, or pleasure. She was no longer bound to the writing sensations torturing her and could stand on her own two feet.

Yet, she was also not at all where she'd been a moment ago. She was still with Happy, and with Natsu who lay face-down unconscious before her. But surrounding her were all of her friends—Gray, Erza, Cana, Master Makarov, Wendy, Levy, Lisanna...

Wait.

"Levy?" Gajeel exclaimed.

"Gray, get Warren and Bisca right now!" Cana shouted.

"Ice-Make: Prison!"

A cage slammed down around Bisca and Warren, who both tried to jump away. Makarov stood back, shocked.

"Bisca? Warren?" Lucy muttered.

Levy stood, dazed.

Levystood.

Levy was alive.

"What am I doing here?" she asked. "What's going on? Where's August? Where am I?"

Someone stormed by Lucy. It was Gajeel, who stopped right in front of Levy. She stared up at Gajeel, perfectly fine. No, not at all—her hands had scarring all over them, and tears were staining her face.

"Get me out of here, Gajeel," Levy said, her voice soft. "I—I don't know what's going on."

"You're safe with us," Gajeel said. He looked horrible as if he was on the brink of death. "You're...you're all good."

He collapsed right in front of her, at last falling like Natsu. Lily stormed over, down in his Exceed form. Happy rushed to help Gajeel, too.

Irene then appeared right behind Levy, and with a quick chop, knocked Levy out. She fell forward right into Lucy's arms.

"Keep her that way, if we can help it," Irene said. "I sense August's magic in her." She leered at Lucy, then backed off.

"Did you do this?" Lucy asked.

"Yes. You were all on the verge of defeat, and for Erza's sake, I didn't want anyone to die. I'd been working on a spell to connect you all, all you Fairies, in some way. I was able to tap into that guild mark you have, and into the bonds you all share. Then, I summoned you all here, to a little remote spot I used to enjoy coming to. It's no base, but it is a shelter until Hisui can formulate your next plan. Well…if she has the heart for it."

Irene gestured, then moved away to probably seek out Erza. Lucy followed where Irene had been pointing and spotted Hisui still on her hands and knees, Mest and that Sherria Blendy girl trying to talk to her. Lucy started her approach when someone, Evergreen, shrieked.

"Elfman!"

Lucy whipped around. Elfman? What'd happened to Elfman?

And, wait, if she'd summoned all members of Fairy Tail, where was Mirajane? Lisanna was right over there, doubled over, tears streaming down her face as she screamed for….for Elfman.

Lucy sprinted over along with Juvia and Yukino, who was also there. But she wasn't a member of Fairy Tail.

And the bonds you share.

Lucy joined the growing crowd surrounding Erza and the broken body she knelt in front of, the one Evergreen wept on. Master Makarov pushed through as well, moving to a slow walk as he approached the still, and dead, boy of Elfman Strauss.

It was hard to breathe. It was…almost impossible to breathe, or even conceive that this was possible.

"Who did this?" Laxus snarled.

Lisanna screamed even harder. Erza, the mighty Titania, couldn't even raise her head to answer her comrade.

"It was Mirajane."

Larcade strode through into the castle's main thoroughfare, hardly a blemish from the fighting on him. In moments it'd be healed up like nothing happened. August couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment that Larcade hadn't in some way been roughed up but it was a steep hill for any of the rebels to climb. He outclassed all of them in every way.

"I take it you had your fun?" August asked.

"Yes, I was on my way to see Mard Geer now," Larcade said. "I believe my task is complete."

"Task?"

Larcade grinned, but before August could inquire further, Ajeel strolled up. August had summoned him quite a while ago, and the Desert King took his sweet time finally emerging from his tower. There was an important, but brief, matter to discuss. Unfortunately, Larcade stuck around to hear the conversation out. He probably wanted to gloat some more afterward.

"What's up?" Ajeel asked.

"I wanted to know if you had a status for me on the project," August said. "With the rebellion all but eradicated, now would be the best time to begin testing it."

"I agree," Ajeel said. He shrugged. "Jeez, so impatient."

"It seems something has you ruffled," Larcade said. He raised an eyebrow. "Irene's little spell did wisk away Natsu and his little friends. I wonder if it impacted all members of Fairy Tail? Including little pet projects?"

"Silence," August said, but Larcade's smile spoke enough.

Indeed, one moment Levy had been with August busily working in their book of E.N.D. when the next she was enveloped in a familiar scarlet hue and then vanished. August hadn't a clue Irene was back in Earth Land, let alone Fiore, and this was beyond treasonous.

Yet he wasn't about to risk a manhunt for her when they were on the verge of total victory. Levy would make her way back to his graces.

He'd made sure of that when he had the other Fairies in his grasp.

"I'm not impatient," August said. "And if it seems I am, it is only because I await the inevitable. Victory is within our grasp, and conversations like this waste time from us claiming it."

"Now, later, within a year, it doesn't matter."

"A year?"

Larcade grinned. "You can continue playing with your little books, August, but until you tap into the source itself you'll never truly get anywhere."

August turned to Larcade. He had to stifle the magic ready to burst out of his anger.

"What did you do?'

"Just a little tampering. Natsu and I have much in common, you see, and I didn't want the boy to be robbed of his true self for long. There's much that has been done to him, much in the way thanks to dear Igneel, but it was not hard to get beyond it."

"You initiated the growth of his Demon Seed."

Larcade said nothing. He merely put his prayerful hands together, bowed to August and Ajeel, and took his leave.

Ajeel brushed him off. "Guy's a creep."

"Make sure the project is ready," August said, his hand itching. The Book of E.N.D. appeared at once. He didn't take his eyes off Larcade. "We'll ensure its completion as soon as possible."

Tiny campfires sprang up around the lake-facing alcove, none so bright as to attract attention but enough for the rebels to huddle around. Gajeel had recovered from his battle but Natsu remained unconscious, laying off to the side while he was attended by Lucy and Happy.

Hisui stood at the edge of the alcove, watching the stars twinkle above.

Mest joined her.

"We failed, Mest," Hisui said. "We were crushed. All of us were…practically wiped out." She put her face into her hands. "And Elfman. I did this."

"Hisui, everyone understood the risks, and Elfman died defending his sister."

Mest stood tall next to her. He was shaken, but he was there, just like her.

"Besides," he said with a soft voice. "Not all of the rebels were wiped out. There are more than just us, Hisui. And they're continuing the fight. They're going to keep fighting and give us the time to get back on our feet."

"So we can do what?"

Mest sighed. "Win. We have to win."